01x01 - Paradise

[bunniefuu]

Who are we?

How did we become the way we are?

As humans, we spend our lives

trying to understand ourselves.

But sometimes it feels
we're too close to see clearly.

That's why we love stories
from other worlds.

And the world of chimpanzees,

so similar to ours in some ways...

...but so different in others...

tells us stories
more revealing than you can imagine.

Stories all the more powerful

because they are real.

The Forest of Ngogo
is a vast, interconnected world.

And at its heart,

there is a thriving society.

The Ngogo chimpanzees.

For this new mother and her baby,

it's home.

Chimpanzees are our closest
living relatives.

We share more than 98% of our DNA.

They are highly intelligent.

And highly emotional.

They can live to over 60 years old,

and the stages of their lives
are similar to ours.

Every chimp at Ngogo is an individual...

with their own unique personality

and goals.

To reflect this,

scientists have given
each and every one of them a name.

Ngogo society is sophisticated.

It's a complex network
of family and social bonds...

where each chimp
has to forge relationships

and find their place in the group.

Most chimp groups
number 50 or 60 individuals.

But here at Ngogo,

there are twice that number.

Over 120 chimps living together.

The biggest group ever discovered.

Ngogo is a chimpanzee paradise.

There's a huge amount of fruit trees here.

And fruit is the lifeblood
of chimpanzee society.

With so many chimps
all trying to make their way,

there's a lot of competition.

Life here involves politics and power.

Ngogo society is a hierarchy.

And the chimps are
always looking for opportunities

to move up.

At the top of the hierarchy
sits the most powerful chimp at Ngogo.

Jackson.

The alpha male.

Jackson has been in charge
for six years now.

But he's getting old for an alpha.

If he's going to stay on top,

he can't show any weakness.

He needs to display strength.

This is what Jackson wants.

The group is calling

and coming to him in a show of respect.

But Jackson is well aware

that some chimps
are showing less respect than others.

A chimp this age should be too young
to pose a real challenge to Jackson.

But not all chimps are as smart

or as confident as Abrams.

But Jackson has protection.

Miles.

A giant chimp.

The biggest ever known at Ngogo.

Jackson and Miles share a tight bond...

and groom each other regularly.

It's a formidable alliance.

Grooming is an important part of life
for all chimpanzees.

It's how they create
and maintain social relationships.

It's the chimp equivalent of conversation.

It's highly political.

Planning.

Persuading.

Plotting.

Grooming forms alliances.

And alliances create power.

Even the strongest chimps

struggle to dominate alone.

Who your grooming partners are

says a lot
about your status and ambitions.

But if you aren't grooming with anyone,

status and ambition
are the least of your worries.

Fourteen is not an easy age
for a male chimp.

You've grown apart from your mother...

...and you need to start bonding
with other males.

That comes more easily to some

than others.

Gus is an outsider.

But he can't stay that way.

He needs to find some friends.

In the Forest of Ngogo,

it's not wise
to spend too much time alone.

Christine's baby is about six months old.

For this age, she's much stronger
and more developed than a human baby.

But she's still very vulnerable.

At Ngogo, not all babies
make it to their first birthday.

And for that reason,

she won't be given her name until then.

Christine has to focus on the baby,

and that has left
her older daughter, Nadine,

out in the cold.

She used to get
her mother's full attention.

Now she's neglected.

Even for a chimp,
the baby is developing quickly.

And she's starting
to become more independent.

She wants to socialize.

When it comes to babies,
most chimps are pretty tolerant.

Still, it's safer to start with someone
closer to your own size.

The problem is
that young chimps are far less forgiving.

The more independent the baby becomes,

the more she can get into trouble.

Big males are a threat.

If she gets in their way,
she could be badly hurt.

And with an alpha like Jackson,

who can choose to display
anywhere, anytime...

Christine can never completely relax.

It's all a bit overwhelming.

Her mother has seen all this before.

She isn't concerned.

But her big sister is.

The first signs of a bond between sisters.

Ngogo is a rainforest.

Storms are part of life here.

And the chimps generally take cover.

Though not all of them.

Some chimps draw strength from the storm.

And use it to perform
an unusual dominance display.

The rain dance.

Abrams is sending a powerful message.

For now, Jackson does nothing.

Sooner or later, he'll have to act.

Because with every day,

Abrams is getting more confident.

Gus is still alone.

But he's got a plan.

Gus is awkward,

but he isn't stupid.

Jackson isn't the only one

to notice that Abrams is on his way up.

This could be an opportunity
to form a very useful relationship.

Gus is really trying.

An up-and-comer like Abrams
is happy to be groomed by most chimps.

The real test for Gus

will be if Abrams grooms him back.

Rejection.

Abrams is seeking out
a much more important grooming partner.

If Abrams can build his own alliance
with Jackson's most important ally,

it will weaken
Jackson's position as alpha.

And Miles seems receptive.

Jackson can feel Abrams closing in.

He needs the group
to unite under his leadership.

Unite against a common enemy.

Chimps are territorial creatures.

The Ngogo group lives
within a defined territory,

surrounded on all sides
by other hostile chimps.

To make sure their resources are safe,

they patrol their borders.

Patrolling is a dangerous business.

But the importance
of defending the territory is so great

that even the most unlikely candidates
sometimes take part.

Each chimp needs to weigh it up.

"Is it worth the risk?"

Pork Pie is far from the toughest
or bravest of chimps.

But even for him,
it's probably worth the danger.

The chimps are heading
to their northern border.

Patrols can cover many miles

and last for several tense hours.

Even the biggest, most aggressive males

begin to get nervous
as they approach the borderlands.

As for Pork Pie,

he's at the back

and seems reluctant to go on.

Abrams, on the other hand,

is exactly where he wants to be.

Right in the thick of it.

As the group reaches the northern border

and passes into unfamiliar territory,

things get more dangerous.

There are no friendly relations
between chimp groups.

When one group meets another,

there are two choices.

Run or attack.

The chimps are listening for calls

and movement.

Pork Pie has had enough.

He's leaving the patrol.

Alone.

But Gus is going to stay.

There are other chimps close by.

And they will be hostile.

They need to judge
who has the greater numbers...

and decide whether to retreat

or to attack.

Jackson has Miles behind him.

There's no going back.

They've decided to charge.

Their aggression has paid off.

The northern group has retreated.

This is a success for the patrol.

The border is secure,

and they can return
to the center of their territory,

victorious.

With most of the big males
away to the north,

Christine can finally relax.

The baby is getting stronger.

And it's time for her to explore
another important part of life at Ngogo.

The canopy.

Not impressed.

Christine can't let her climb too high,

to where a fall could be dangerous.

That's enough

for one day.

The patrol is returning
from the borderlands.

And they've noticed something
in the treetops.

The Ngogo group doesn't tolerate
other chimps in their territory.

But they do share the forest
with other primates.

Including several large groups of monkeys.

Monkeys aren't rivals to chimps.

They're food.

Meat is a welcome source
of nourishment for chimps.

But that's not its only value.

The sharing of meat is important socially

and politically.

Jackson shares with his allies.

And more than anyone else,
he shares with Miles.

At the same time,

he purposely leaves others out.

Abrams' exclusion is a sign that, for now,

Jackson still holds power at Ngogo.

A victorious patrol

and a successful hunt.

Today's been a good day for Jackson

and for the Ngogo chimpanzees.

Monkeys are an important resource
for the Ngogo chimps.

But the most important resource
will always be fruit trees,

the foundation of Ngogo society.

A fig tree has come into fruit
in the center of the territory,

and the chimps can relax
and enjoy a feast.

Gus has spent a lot of his life
watching from the sidelines.

He's more observant than most.

And quick to spot anything unusual.

It's Pork Pie.

He was caught alone...

and k*lled by a rival group...

right in the middle of Ngogo territory.

If a chimp can be k*lled here...

...it means this forest kingdom...

...and all the chimps in it...

are no longer safe.